


Didn't Hear a Thing

by AlteanAce



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abused Lance (Voltron), Concerned Keith (Voltron), Concerned Shiro (Voltron), F/M, Keith & Shiro (Voltron) are Siblings, Langst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29323923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlteanAce/pseuds/AlteanAce
Summary: Songfic loosely inspired by Alec Benjamin's "Must Have Been the Wind."During one of their many weekly game nights, arguing from the Holts' new neighbors raises some concerns. When their curiosity gets the best of them, Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Keith go up to investigate and check on the apartment's tenants. While the blue-eyed resident insists everything is alright, Keith can't help but remain concerned . . .
Relationships: Background Hunk/Shay - Relationship, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Lance/Lotor (Voltron)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 70





	1. A Roommate-Shaped Vacancy

“Alright guys, I think that’s the last of it,” Hunk said, carefully placing the cardboard box containing the last of his things in the back of his old car. He closed the trunk with a firm thunk before turning to face his companions.  


“Are you sure you don’t want us to come with to help unpack? It’s really not an issue.” Shiro’s eyes showed nothing but genuine compassion, and while Hunk appreciated the offer, he knew it was unnecessary.  


“Nah, Shay and her brother are meeting me in,” he checked his watch, eyes widening, “fifteen minutes. Sorry guys, I’ve got to get going!” Hunk took two quick steps over to where Shiro stood, enveloping the slightly taller man in a bear hug. Shiro returned the hug, wishing Hunk well.  


Keith shook his head at Hunk’s sudden frantic energy, smirking from where he stood, arms crossed. “We’ll miss you, man.”  


“I know, but I’m just ten minutes down the road. I’ll be in the bakery almost every day, feel free to stop by anytime, and I’ll still be at every game night! And you can still message me anytime,” Hunk assured them in one breath, his nervousness getting the best of him. He stepped up to Keith next, arms open for a hug. Keith sighed, but accepted it anyway.  


“Take care.”  


With that, Hunk got into the driver’s seat, started his car, sent them one last wave, and drove off, leaving the two brothers alone to reminisce on the memories the friends had shared during their time living together.  


Keith and Hunk had met freshman year of college during an introductory level physics lecture class, and had become fast friends. Though Keith was standoffish and purposefully sat in the back of the classroom in the seat closest to the door, Hunk didn’t let Keith’s threatening appearance stop him. He’d sat down right next to Keith, introduced himself, and took him quickly under his wing. Over the course of the following weeks, Hunk introduced Keith to his childhood best friend Pidge, who happened to be the younger sister to Shiro’s best friend, Matt. From then on, the self-dubbed “Terror Trio” became near inseparable. Following college, the group decided to stay in the area, the college town’s younger population and plethora of job opportunities, as well as the appeal of staying in touch, keeping them together. Matt and Pidge rented an apartment, and Hunk decided to join Keith and Shiro in a separate apartment. While Pidge complained that she knew Hunk longer, the promise of a free muffin every Monday from Hunk’s new bakery for the following year effectively caused Pidge’s complaints to cease.  


Two years, a successful bakery, and a girlfriend of more than a year later, Hunk decided that it was time for him to branch out. He and his girlfriend, Shay, decided to purchase an apartment within walking distance of the bakery, and Hunk let Shiro and Keith know that they’d need to look for a new roommate. Originally, Hunk planned on waiting until they found the roommate to move, but a nervous landlord and the threat of another tenant snagging the apartment caused plans to change. Hunk promised the brothers he would help pay for their apartment until they found a replacement roommate, but the brothers, nothing but supportive of their friend’s endeavors, reassured him that they would be alright.  


Now, the brothers stood on the curb and watched the car in silence for another minute, until Hunk took a turn and his car left their fields of vision. Satisfied in the knowledge that Hunk was safe on his way, and that his girlfriend was eagerly awaiting him at his new apartment, the brothers turned around and headed back into their own building. 

* * *

Jangling keys made a series of metallic clinking sounds as a hand halfheartedly attempted to fit them into the lock. Keith’s shoulders slumped from exhaustion, a box filled with new books tucked under his left arm, as he tried (and failed) to open his door. On the third try, the key slid in, and Keith let himself into the apartment.  


A new shipment of textbooks for the nearby University had come into the bookstore that day, and Coran had insisted that everything be sorted, stacked, cataloged, and shelved before Keith left. After hours of lifting boxes and shelving the heavy books, Keith’s back and shoulders ached to no end. Following work, Pidge and Hunk had decided that the trio deserved a bowling night. While it was fun watching Pidge try to figure out the weirdest bowling position (being dangled upside down at the ankles by Hunk had won, and almost gotten them kicked out), it had done no favors for his tired muscles. Keith set the box of books (new YA thrillers that he was supposed to read and review before deciding which to send to the monthly subscription customers) on the entranceway table, and toed off his sneakers.  


Within a second he noticed the eerie quiet of the apartment. Usually from the entranceway he could see Shiro’s head and shoulders over the back of the couch, watching the latest medical drama. Instead, there was nothing but empty space where Shiro usually resided. Next, Keith became aware that the kitchen light was on, but no sound could be heard from that direction. He tiptoed his way over, smirking at the sight that greeted him.  


A single dangling light was on, illuminating the breakfast bar below. Papers sat in organized piles, some ready to be mailed, and others waiting to be opened. In the middle of it all was Shiro, asleep with his head on his prosthetic hand. Keith let himself be amused for just a second, before realizing that Shiro was probably exhausted, to the point that he had passed out in the middle of taking care of their finances. The smirk fell from his face as Keith made his way over, taking note of the creases in Shiro’s forehead, and the frown that seemed etched in his face, even in his sleep.  


Hunk had only moved out three months ago, but they were definitely feeling the financial strain. To help, Shiro had taken up a second job. In addition to his daytime job teaching gym classes at a local middle school, Shiro had become a personal trainer at his favorite gym. He worked with clients as early as 5:00 AM, and some nights as late as 10:00 PM. The physical strain was starting to take a toll on his body, and Keith knew they’d have to rethink their living situation soon.  


Keith let out a soft sigh, setting his hand lightly on Shiro’s shoulder. Immediately, Shiro’s breathing pattern changed, his eyes fluttering open as he carefully sat back in the chair. He swiped the back of his flesh hand across his eyes, yawning, before turning his gaze to Keith. His tired eyes looked up at Keith in confusion for a second, before he turned back to the table, remembering what he had been doing. He let out a sigh, shoulders slumping forward.  


“Hey, Keith. How long have you been home?”  


Keith removed his hand from Shiro’s shoulder, shifting to stand more in front of Shiro than to the side so that he wouldn’t have to crane his neck to see him. “Only a few minutes. How long have you been like this?” He motioned to the papers with his chin.  


“Uh, I got home around eight, so…” he glanced at the clock on their stove and scratched the back of his neck, “I’ve probably been asleep for a half hour? I’m not sure.”  


Keith glanced over Shiro’s exhausted features once more. While all Keith wanted to do was curl up in bed and call it quits for the night, he knew his brother needed rest. It wasn’t yet 10, but Keith knew Shiro had to wake up at 4 the next morning. Mentally resigning himself to stay up a little later, he said, “Why don’t you head to bed? I can take care of this.”  


For a second Shiro looked skeptical, before he nodded. “Sounds good. Don’t stay up too late, and if you aren’t sure about anything, wait, and I’ll take care of it later.”  


As Shiro stood up, Keith scoffed, “I think I can handle it.”  


“That’s what you said when I told you to pick up drinks for game night at the dollar store, and what did you pick up? The off-brand equivalent of Windex.”  


Keith rolled his eyes. “In my defense, the cleaner color looked pretty darn close, and it was beside snack items!”  


“Uh-huh.” Shiro smirked, making his way out of the kitchen. Just before he got out of sight, he turned to look over his shoulder. “I’m picking you up at work? 5:30, like usual?”  


“Yessir. Now get to bed.”  


Shiro nodded in acknowledgment before disappearing down the hall towards his bedroom. Keith shifted the chair Shiro had previously occupied and settled himself in. Shiro had completed most of the paperwork, and Keith only had a few things left to finish. As he worked on the finances, Keith’s eyebrows grew gradually closer, and his frown gradually deeper. While they weren’t quite in the danger zone of falling behind on payments, they would still have to be careful. If one of them lost their job, they would probably have to move into a smaller apartment.  


Keith finished the finances and made his way to his own bedroom, slipping out of his jeans and t-shirt and into his red-blanketed bed. As he closed his eyes, faint flashes of numerical calculations going on behind his eyelids, he was left with one final thought before he drifted off to sleep: _We need another roommate._


	2. Questions, Investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weekly game night at the Holts' is in full swing and going great, until the tenants in the apartment directly above the Holts get a little too rowdy. Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Keith investigate, but the apartment's tenant leaves them with more questions than answers.

The bell above the entranceway door to Balmera Books gave a clear _ding _as Shiro stepped through the doorway. He glanced at the counter, noticing the owner, Coran, stood behind it. The older gentleman had his elbows against the counter, one hand holding up his book while the other lazily twirled one end of his bushy mustache. He had yet to look up.  
__

__Not seeing Keith, Shiro made his way over to Coran. As he approached the counter Coran looked up, giving Shiro a smile. “Why, hello there, lad! How have you been?”  
_ _

__Shiro returned the smile, replying easily. “Always busy, but you know how it is. How about yourself?”  
_ _

__“I am doing just fine.” Noticing that Shiro’s eyes were casually scanning the shop, he added, “Keith should be out in a moment, he’s just organizing a few orders in the back.”  
_ _

__Coran looked ready to launch into one of his stories, but Shiro was saved when Keith appeared from behind a bookshelf. The back half of his hair was tied back in a low ponytail, and his red flannel was tied loosely around his waist. A small black backpack was slung over his shoulder. He nodded to Shiro before addressing Coran. “Everything is packaged and ready for shipment. I already clocked out.”  
_ _

__“Sounds good, my boy! I’ll see you on Monday!” Coran did not wait for a reply before he enthusiastically returned his gaze to his book, becoming instantly engrossed back into the story.  
_ _

__Keith smiled fondly at the paternal figure before motioning to Shiro to head out. The two left the store briskly, walking through an alley between the bookstore and the adjacent music store to where the parking lot was in the back. The pair got into Shiro’s sleek black car before pulling away.  
_ _

__“How was work?” Shiro asked once they were out of the parking lot, glancing at Keith.  
_ _

__“Normal. What about you?”  
_ _

__Used to Keith’s blunt answers, Shiro didn’t miss a beat before replying. “Well, one kiddo took a hard hit during lacrosse today. They were playing a mock game, and you know how kids are. One of the bigger boys in the class knocked into him a little rough, and he went down hard. He wasn’t hurt seriously, but I sent him to the nurse to get some ice because he bruised his arm. He probably would have been fine if he wasn’t built like a twig. Kind of like someone else I know.” Shiro smirked.  
_ _

__“I am not a twig! I’m lean,” Keith retorted.  
_ _

__Shiro didn’t comment, keeping his eyes fixed on the road, though his amusement shone through them. Keith huffed and turned away.  
_ _

__Soon enough, Shiro parked in the garage adjacent to the Holt’s apartment complex. Keith reached back between the seats, grabbing the two bags of drinks he knew Shiro had picked up before he got Keith. He handed one to Shiro - the lighter one, because he was _not_ a twig, thank you very much - and the two got out of the car. The brothers made their way to their friends’ apartment in silence, though it was not uncomfortable. The weight of the bag in his arms and the anticipation of a fun night with friends distracted Keith from his irritation.  
__

___Since the Holt siblings lived on the first floor, the two didn’t need to take an elevator. Instead, they headed down the hallway to the familiar apartment. As they approached the door, they could make out the faint sounds of Pidge cackling accompanied by an exasperated groan from Hunk. “He’s gonna hate you” filtered through the closed door. “Shhhh, I think they’re here.”  
_ _ _

___Shiro and Keith shared a worried look, before Shiro tentatively knocked on the door.  
_ _ _

___They heard the sounds of uncoordinated scrambling before the doorway opened, mostly blocked by the Holt siblings. Pidge stood, smiling innocently, with her left hand extended for a handshake. Matt stood to her right, leaning against the door frame.  
_ _ _

___Shiro raised an eyebrow. Immediately recognizing the signs of an oncoming prank, Shiro shifted the bag he was holding to his left hand. Then, inhumanly fast, he raised his right hand, put it against Pidge’s wrist, and pushed Pidge’s arm across her body until her hand made contact with Matt’s chest. A _snap! _was heard as the electronic device Pidge held in her palm shocked Matt. The surprise caused him to yelp and jump nearly a foot in the air, his shoulder sliding off the doorframe and causing him to stumble off balance. From their close proximity, Matt’s ankle caught on Pidge’s foot and he began falling backwards, his arms peddling. Just before he hit the ground, two strong arms caught him under his shoulders. Matt glanced upwards at Hunk gratefully as Hunk gently set him on the ground. Matt sent a glare up at Shiro, then to Pidge. “I told you it wasn’t going to work.”  
___ _ _

___Pidge snorted. “It was worth a shot. Here, let me help you up.” Pidge extended her left hand to help Matt up, and he gratefully grabbed it, before the device shocked his hand again and he jerked his hand out of her grasp. He brought the offended hand to his equally injured chest, glaring at Pidge once again.  
_ _ _

___Meanwhile, Shiro and Keith scooted past Pidge into the doorway, Keith shutting the door behind them. They walked to the kitchen island and set their drinks down, chuckling at the other siblings’ antics.  
_ _ _

___“Y’know Pidge, you’d be a much better engineer if you focused your creativity towards your job tasks instead of pointless pranks,” Shiro pointed out, lending Matt a hand up. Matt took it, and once he was stable, Shiro set a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
_ _ _

___“Where’s the fun in that? If I focused my efforts on being productive, I wouldn’t have as much time to mess with you! You guys rely on me to keep you sharp.” Matt looked like he was about to butt in when Shay’s voice called from the living room. “Guys, you should quit bantering and get in here. There’s a MarioKart bracket ready to be put to use.”  
_ _ _

___“Yeah, we’ve been waiting forever!” Allura called.  
_ _ _

___The younger trio immediately made their way to the living room, while Shiro hung back in the kitchen with Matt. Once Shiro double checked that Matt was alright, he helped him take care of starting the snack making (or more accurately, snack-heating because it was all frozen and meant to go in the oven.) The two smiled at each other as they heard the bickering start amongst the other party members. It wasn’t long before they were pulled into the tournament, the group rotating who was on snack duty._ _ _

_____ _

A short while later, the competition had been narrowed down to Shiro and Matt. Shay had dropped out first because she refused to use the shell power ups; she felt it was unfair to knock out the competition. Hunk had been second to go, wanting to be able to focus on cuddling Shay while they watched their friends compete. Allura followed right behind; she had gotten ambitious on a ramp end ended up in thick material, slowing her down. Pidge had been next out; in the middle of the race Keith had poked her extremely ticklish side, causing her to wig out and lose. In retaliation, during Keith’s next turn, Pidge had taken Hunk’s bandanna and fit it over Keith’s eyes. It took a few seconds for Keith to register what had happened and remove the item, giving Matt a clear win.  


Now, before the two remaining competitors did the final face-off, the group broke off for snacks.  


_____ _

“I, for one, believe that I deserve another shot. Pidge cheated!” Keith exclaimed as he put a mozzarella stick in his mouth. “To-ha’ly umph-air.”  


_____ _

“I neither confirm nor deny your claims,” Pidge responded in stride, snatching a cheese stick off of Keith’s plate.  


_____ _

“Hey!”  


“Oh please, it’s not like you should be having many of these anyways, Mr. Lactose-Intolerant. You may not care for your health and wellbeing, but I prefer to kick your ass when you’re at full capacity.”  


_____ _

“My ass will be at full capacity, though not for very long.”  


_____ _

“Keith!” Shiro admonished, looking at Keith in disbelief and secondhand embarrassment.  


_____ _

“What? It’s the truth.”  


_____ _

Pidge was about to say something else when a loud _thump _came from the ceiling. She paused, then went to start again, when a second, louder _thump _occurred. Voices could also be heard as distant murmurings through the material.  
____

_____ _

___The group collectively glanced upwards towards the source of the noise before looking back at the siblings.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“What was that?” Hunk asked.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“It’s just our new neighbors,” Matt replied casually. “They moved in on Tuesday, and they’ve acted like this every night since at about this time.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Yeah, I wish they’d just cut the foreplay and go straight to the bedroom. At least we can’t hear _that _,” Pidge grumbled.  
___ _ _

_____ _

___The friends grew quiet, pondering the information. The only sounds for the next few minutes were chewing and the occasional thumping from the apartment upstairs. Realizing that the noises weren’t going to quit, the group decided to finish their tournament.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Immediately the group split into two; team Matt and team Shiro. Team Shiro consisted of Keith, Hunk, Allura, and eventually Pidge. “You traitor,” Matt muttered upon seeing his sister cheering Shiro on. “Hey, it’s not my fault Shiro’s better than you in every way,” she shot back before sticking her tongue out at him. To avoid leaving Matt unsupported, Shay chose Matt’s side.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___It was a close race, both players shifting back and forth between who was in the lead. On the last turn, when Shiro went a little wide, Matt saw his opening, took the inside, and pulled ahead. Gasps were heard from Shiro’s side, and a singular “woo” was heard from Matt’s, as the finish line drew closer. Matt could taste victory when - _bzz! _\- his controller shook as his character flipped from a blue shell. He watched begrudgingly as Shiro whipped past and into first place. Matt slumped down with a huff, before turning and congratulating Shiro.  
___ _ _

_____ _

___“That was awesome!” “Shiro had the blue shell for like half a lap, dude!” “I called it!”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Shiro smiled, “Patience yields focus.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Matt rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, we get it.” His expression was irritated, but his tone was fond.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___The friends enjoyed a second of quiet camaraderie before the loudest crash yet came from the apartment above. This time, the crash was accompanied by the sounds of angry shouting and lots of glass shattering. The friends shared worried glances.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Does _that _happen every night?” Allura wondered aloud.  
___ _ _

_____ _

___“No… That would be a first,” Pidge supplied.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Dread and worry began to pool in the pit of Keith’s stomach. The sounds from upstairs sounded like more than playful bantering. “Do you think we should see if everyone is alright?” he questioned.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I’m not sure, some people prefer to keep to themselves-”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“We won’t know that until we check; I say we see what’s going on,” Shiro was quick cut Matt off.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I’d like to see what’s going on,” Hunk offered.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“And I’d like to see who’s living above me!” Pidge added.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Shiro looked at them and nodded. “Okay, then the four of us - Keith, Hunk, Pidge, and I - will go check it out. Allura, Shay, Matt, we’ll let you know what happens.”  
___

___The group nodded, and the Terror Trio followed Shiro out of the apartment.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I hope everything’s alright,” Hunk expressed, wringing his hands together anxiously.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I’m sure it’ll be alright. If not, we’ll help make it alright,” Shiro reassured, setting a comforting hand on Hunk’s shoulder.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___As the group approached the elevator, the door opened and a slender man stepped out. He was dressed like a local business man; dark gray suit pants and a purple button down with an orange tie. Unlike a business man, his appearance was askew. He was missing a belt, his shirt was crumpled, and his tie was loose and crooked. His silver-dyed hair was all over the place, and a single pale hand struggled to tame it as he walked briskly toward the building’s exit. He kept his glaring gaze straight ahead, angry energy radiating off of him. His shoulders knocked Keith’s as he brushed past, but he didn’t bother to stop or even apologize, instead picking up his pace.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Keith’s irritation immediately spiked, and he turned slightly. “What the _heck _man!” But the dude didn’t so much as turn, and promptly walked outside. Keith was about to turn and follow, when Pidge grabbed his elbow.  
___ _ _

_____ _

___“We’ve got more important issues, Keith. Let him go.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Keith sighed and shrugged off the hand, turning back towards the elevator. Shiro sent him a concerned glance, but Keith just shook his head. He’d be fine.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___The elevator ride was tense, but otherwise uneventful. The group arrived on the second floor in seconds and Pidge led the way, counting doorways until they reached the apartment above hers. The friends could make out a vacuum running from the inside. Pidge glanced back at the others. “So how are we doing this?”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“You and Keith are the smallest and least intimidating,” at this Keith bristled, but Shiro ignored him and continued his directions, “so why don’t you knock, Pidge. Hunk and I will stand back.” The group nodded, and Pidge stepped up to the doorway. Keith stood to her side, and Shiro and Hunk stood behind them with space. The goal was to check on the apartment’s tenants, not intimidate them.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Pidge took a deep breath, glanced at Keith, and knocked loudly so as to be heard over the vacuum. Immediately the vacuum stopped, but the group could not make out the tell tale signs that someone was approaching the doorway. Pidge knocked again and this time, the result was instantaneous.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Shit, shit, shit,” they heard someone muttering from inside, as well as scampering footsteps. Whoever was inside was rushing around frantically.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___A minute passed without the door being opened, and Pidge turned towards Hunk and Shiro with a frown, “I don’t think this was a good idea. Whoever’s inside clearly doesn’t want to be disturbed.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Knock one more time, Pidge. We’ve already come this far,” Shiro advised, so Pidge followed his instructions.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Soon after, footsteps approached from the other side of the door. The person inside must have looked through the peep hole, because a second later a masculine voice called through the door, “Who are you?”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Pidge glanced at Keith, who nodded once encouragingly, before responding, “I’m one of your neighbors. I was hoping to introduce myself, and some of my friends are with me.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“N-now’s not the best time,” the voice responded softly, and Hunk shifted as if he was ready to walk away. Shiro put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from running off.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Come on, man, I’ve already gone through the trouble of coming up,” Pidge whined, and Shiro stepped closer to the doorway. He made the executive decision to be frank, and started seriously, “We heard some concerning noises coming from your apartment. We just want to make sure everyone’s okay.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Noises? I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t hear anything.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Pidge glanced at Shiro, once again seeking guidance, and once again, Shiro was the one to speak. “We were in the apartment directly below yours, and we could hear glass shattering in this apartment.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___At this, the voice remained silent, so Shiro continued, softly, “Really, we don’t mean any harm. We’re just worried and would feel better if we knew you were alright.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___The group waited with bated breath for a few seconds before they heard the door unlock. Slowly, it opened and a skinny male blocked the view of the inside of the apartment. He was tan, clearly of hispanic or latinx origin, with blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. He stood slightly taller than Keith. He wore grey skinny jeans and a pale blue zip up sweater, whose zipper was zipped up to his chin. The clothes were baggy on him, but it was clear that he was very lean, if not simply skinny and built like an actual twig. What was most concerning, however, was the redness of his eyes and the bruise on his left cheekbone that was barely visible thanks to hastily applied concealer. His eyes darted between members of the group cautiously and they could make out a slight tremble in his hands and shoulders.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I appreciate your concern, guys, but everything’s a-okay,” he swallowed nervously, “I’m quite clumsy and I tripped into our bookshelf. A glass vase shattered - that’s probably what you heard.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___As he was speaking, Hunk moved into the new male’s view. “Lance?”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Immediately the male - Lance - looked up, his eyes widening in surprise. “H-Hunk?!”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Upon this realization, Lance’s shaking grew less apparent. He still seemed ill at-ease, but a small, genuine smile graced his lips (Keith couldn’t help but admire the cute expression) as he turned his body to face him fully.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I haven’t seen you in forever, man! We have to catch up!” Hunk moved in to give Lance a bear hug, missing the scared expression that graced Lance’s features for just a second before he found himself engulfed in Hunk’s embrace.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Once they pulled apart, Keith spoke up, “You two know each other?” The stranger turned towards Keith, and Keith’s heart skipped a beat when the beautiful blue eyes met his own stormy indigo. Lance was quick to look away, instead meeting Hunk’s eyes in a silent plead for him to answer the question. Hunk happily obliged.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Do you remember any of my stories about my childhood best friend, Lance? The one who tried to put highlights in his hair for the first day of freshman year to ‘impress the ladies,’ but didn’t account for the fact that the oceanwater turned them green, so he ended up looking like his hair was painted like kelp? This is the same Lance!”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Lance groaned, “Dude, how was I supposed to know that by going surfing, I would sacrifice my gorgeous locks? Besides, I totally rocked the seaweed look. Chicks digged it.” After seeing and connecting with Hunk, Lance seemed to become more comfortable with the group crowding his doorway.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Your mom doesn’t count,” Hunk teased, and Lance shot him an exasperated look before wincing. His left hand twitched as if he wanted to raise it to where they knew his face was bruised, but he didn’t raise it higher than his hip before he caught himself. “I’ve missed you, man,” Hunk continued. “Why didn’t you text me when you got your new number?”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“I’m really sorry about that. There was a problem with transferring contacts and I lost everyone. You know me, I can’t remember phone numbers besides my own for anything. Would it be apology enough if I give you mine, now?”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___“Absolutely!” Hunk pulled out his phone and opened it to a new contact, and Lance carefully typed it in.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Shiro had been surveying the entire scene with watchful eyes. In order to be a middle school gym teacher, he had needed to go through trainings to recognize and respond to child abuse, and he recognized similar signs in Lance. Still, he barely knew the guy, and he knew he didn’t have all the facts. For all he knew, Lance wasn’t lying and had really tripped. “Are you sure you’re alright?” he checked again. “Is someone else in there with you? We heard yelling.”  
_ _ _

_____ _

___Lance finally looked away from Hunk, eyed Shiro’s prosthetic and buff build, and became timid once again. “Yes, sir, uh…” “Shiro.” “Shiro. Yes, Shiro, I’m fine. I really appreciate your concern, I do, but it’s unnecessary,” here he stopped and glanced past them towards the elevators, “I’ve really got to get back inside. It was nice meeting you all, and Hunk, my phone’s almost dead so I probably won’t be able to answer texts until tomorrow morning. I usually sleep in until nine, so don’t worry about messaging until then.” He sent one last small smile at Hunk before slinking back into the apartment, closing the door softly.  
_ _ _

_____ _

___The group stood there for a second, processing that the conversation was over. A beat later, Pidge turned her back to the door, facing the others, and pointed out, “I didn’t even introduce myself.”_ _ _

_____ _

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the concept and beginning of this fanfic in my documents for a bit of time, but I've finally gained the courage to post it! If you've survived the wordy exposition up to this point, I hope you'll stick around to see how the story progresses. 
> 
> Tags will be updated as more is written.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender or its characters.


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